The Chronocals of Von Franz
by Rogue190
Summary: Starting his service with the St. Ives Lancers, Sgt. Von Franz deals with his own demons as he watches over the young and untried troops of his lance.
1. Default Chapter

Necromo System St. Ives Lancers 12th Lance Barracks  
  
Calm winds blew over the barren landscape. Necromo is a barren world. Dust rises up in little swirls like the jinn of myth are angry. Sgt. Von Franz sits at a small computer terminal in the barracks. He is unshaven in the early evening with a 5 o'clock shadow and wearing a light green T-shirt with white shorts; one food lazily rests upon the small table as he sits pondering with an inquisitive look at the blank screen. The light from it shines and reflects off his black hair cropped short and dirty. To the side is a large bottle of vodka with only a small amount left. An ion storm rages outside preventing any major action for the night. With a slight smile he nods forward and begins to type.  
  
"May 20th, 3059. Location: A hellhole." He typed with a smile. "I'm not even sure if writing this is a good idea, hell why should I give a shit with Boomer thinks. She always says I'm too uptight, too angry about everything..." he stops taking a swig of vodka before slamming the bottle back down. "What do I care what others think, I have my reasons for what I do and they're my concern, when has anyone ever given a shit about another person's problems anyways? Then again that's why I tool this assignment. The money was good, real good as a merc; I just dunno why I changed all that for this. It's like this uniform gives me some sense of meaning greater than just myself. I wonder so often why it feels so good to be an individual yet causes such suffering, how the actions of one.... It's just so much insanity. I still remember the heat of the flames that consumed my home so many years ago... " Pausing for a moment to look at the bright flashes out the window he let loose a great laugh before drowning it out with more vodka. "What is a home anyways I wonder, do they even exist anymore after so many craters, so many dreams of conquest and bloodlust. To hell with power, to hell with the power of being my own person, I live and die for others now, not the other way around! I remember it well; we saw dropships coming down on Sudeten. We lived in the capitol and I can still remember my father's last words to me. He was in the Militia, an officer." Moments of silence passed, Von looked at his watch and then out the window as if expecting something to happen. The Ion storm was clearing and the wind was all that could be heard. "He simply told me to be strong. I thought it was just pirates again, they weren't uncommon, at worst they might be dracs but we were far from the boarder. There were so many dropships though; I couldn't understand what was going on. The fighting fell into the city and I was evacuated with the others. Later on a Grey Death Legionnare who knew my father in the Militia grabbed me. He said I should go with him as per my father's instructions should anything happen to him. He had to pick me up and haul me away I remember. That was the last time I ever saw home. Later I'd learn the militia's sacrifice allowed the mercs to make it off world, allowed me to escape the slaughter. The clanners took their vengeance on the population that refused to be subdued." Saving the file he switches the computer off and sits in the darkness alone for a stint.  
  
After a few moments the silence was broken by a loud crack as the barracks door swung open. Von instinctively reached for his assault pistol but soon realized it was only Skate. Skate was a small man with a dark complexion, wispy brown hair and brown eyes. He was a native to the CapCon. He was an excellent scout pilot to boot but had a sheepish demeanor about him. "Why do you have it so dark in here sir?" Skate immediately asked turning on the lights.  
  
"Neurohelm gave me a headache, was trying to work it off." Von responded solemnly staring out the dark window. "You turning in?"  
  
Silence for a moment before Skate let out a large smile, "So you let Boomer get to yea hungh? You probably got a thing for her too doncha!?" Spinning around in his chair Von looked long and hard at Skate who continued. "I saw yea on the computer all clickity clackity like that, on the computer in the dark is hardly an activity for a man with a neuro headache. Ha! These eyes see everything, they keep you alive too!" he laughed loudly.  
  
"Listen godamnit Boomer don't mean anything to me you hear? You didn't see nothing damnit, nothing!" Von yelled back grabbing Skate by his shirt. "Goddamnit Skate I swear to god I will core your ass and beat you over the head with this bottle if you say anything you hear?" in a frightened but threatening tone. Von was not a man to be messed with, he had and still could serve as an anti-mech infantryman with a large frame.  
  
"Hey hey boss it's no skin off my nose that you're so sensitive about your girlfriend!" Skate remarked before dashing for cover before Von could grab him again.  
  
"Yea you better run, you like to run that mouth off so much get the others together and tell em to get to sleep, we're on a hostile world and we got no days off! You tell them if they fall asleep in the mech I'll core em myself! That goes double for you if you say anything you hear?" Von roared out satisfied at Skate's run for cover.  
  
"Alright alright I'll go get them" he remarked getting up and moving towards the door before Von blocked him. "W-what?"  
  
"What do you say?" Von said calmly with arms folded.  
  
"Y-yes sir!", after a moment of contemplation, came out of Skate's mouth.  
  
"You gotta learn to respect privacy Skate, get the hell outta here and get those maggots!" Von stated moving away from the door as Skate made his exit. Thinking to himself, "He probably won't talk, but just incase." Von walked over to the computer and put the data module with his first journal entry into his footlocker. Inside were all his belongings, a uniform, some porno magazines, and a spare neurohelmet. He slammed the lid shut and locked it tight before the others arrived.  
  
"My first campaign in the St. Ives Lancers.", he muttered to himself. "This is gonna be a long campaign." 


	2. Dawning upon us

For what purpose is existence in the face of suffering and barren hopes. For what end do we endure such trials, only to be undone....  
  
Von awoke early, the sun still hadn't risen and the blackness was thick, the air a dry dusty sweetness that tasted like a sour dew and chapped the lips. Today was another day of operations on this largely barren world. It's only significance a single city and a major dropship manufacturing facility prized by the Capellans. It stood in the Capellan March however and was a thorn in the side of House Davion, the only major ally of St. Ives along with the Concordat. Getting up Von held his head, an empty bottle lay on the desk nearby. There was a chill as the heating system in the barracks had malfunctioned sometime in the night; the chill ran straight to his bones yet he sweats profusely. Wiping his brow, "Another damned nightmare..." Stepping out of bed he grabbed his coveralls and quickly put them on for warmth before silently lacing up his boots. Just as he looped the lace through the last hole a glint of sunlight shown over the horizon. "I've let these kids sleep long enough.", he remarked to himself looking around. Skate barely filled out his cot, Boomer had her hair cascading down over the pillow. She always looked so peaceful when she slept. Tall and slender she embodied the Catapult she loved to drive. The last member of the lance was Hawk, he preferred a good clan mech when he could find one but was currently stuck in an Uziel he constantly complained about. He was a blonde, smaller in size than Von but still an impressive figure when not sleeping. Hawk was a boisterous fellow who used up more energy gambling and talking than fighting. He could aim though that's was for sure as he managed to headshot a kit fox with a PPC at 400 meters. They were out celebrating last night even though Von knew the campaign was far from over, and this planet had ComGuards. "I gotta watch over kids now.", slowly getting up Von switched on the lights and the three slowly began to wake to the sound of Von banging on the door. "Wake up you bastards! Time to get outta the warm beds and hop into an oven hot mech! We got Capellans to kill!" Von roared out.  
Hawk was the first one to open his big mouth as usual, "Won't they just kill themselves, they suck and we've only run into lights, can't the treadheads handle it geeze I get no sleep... you'd think they'd respect me by now.... but.... Zzzzzzzz", hawk muttered slowly trailing off to sleep again. Boomer and Skate both were getting ready, weary but steadily fumbling around with the bulky issue boots they were issued.  
Heading over to Hawk's bunk Von laid his hand on Hawk's arm and with a swift jolt pulled him clean out of bed and onto the cold hard floor. "You still wanna sleep? I ain't gonna watch your late night celebratin ass. Get the hell up!", Von shouted throwing the boots onto Hawk's chest they landed with a thump and he cried out. Skate froze solid but Boomer smirked and even began to snicker at the scene. Von had noticed but decided to just head out of the barracks and wait for them there. "These damn kids, they come out of training and defeat some treadheads and 2 light mechs and they think they're invincible. How the hell am I supposed to look after these kids?", he said to himself heading out to the bay.  
"Y-you all right?", Skate asked moving towards Hawk to help him.  
"No godamnit I'm not alright! I just had boots thrown on me are you a frekin idiot, do you want me to throw boots on you so you can see how it is? Godamnit that hurt like hell I think I bruised a rib, and why the hell you laughing anyways don't you care I got hurt here? Lancer Commander coulda killed me!", Hawk filibustered until being interrupted by Boomer.  
"You only got what you deserved", she said in a soft tone. Her hair was long for a mechwarrior and she had to part it in the back and tie it around to get her neurohelm on securely. She was young at 20 however a very intellectual person. "I think he was just trying to help you put your boots on hun.", she remarked standing up slowly and pressing out the creases in her coveralls.  
"Yea well how about you give me a kiss to make it better then?", Hawk remarked with a smile.  
Without turning around and heading out to the bay Boomer simply said, "It would be a wasted kiss."  
Hawk sat there for a moment, his smile suddenly wiped from his face at the remark before noticing Skate looking at him with this ear-to-ear smile only he seemed humanly able to do. "What, what are you smilin' for?", Hawk asked.  
"It's only been one day and you already have a love interest? Or is it is you go for any piece of tail you can find?", Skate remarked slyly.  
"What? No way me and her? You've taken too many hits ....", pausing for a moment Hawk continued looking down at his boots and cracking a smile, "I guess I just like a challenge.", he remarked looking up at Skate who still had that giant grin and started to shake his head as if to say it will never work out. "You best not blab to her about it though, I don't want to ruin my chances with her!"  
"Why would I do that, and waste an opportunity to watch an opera that should be most amusing?", skate remarked laughing softly as he headed out of the barracks leaving Hawk alone.  
"Yea you laugh all you want, we all know who the hotshot is around here, and I'm gonna prove it too!", hawk shouted towards the door before realizing he was freezing, half-naked, and hadn't yet found his coveralls. "Crap they wouldn't leave without me would they? I'm the best pilot they won't leave without me, damnit if they do I'll.... ", he complained to himself while searching his mess of a footlocker for his coveralls. 


	3. Necrophobia

One wonders, what is a weapon. It is a tool to coerce taking time and effort to destroy time and effort. Despite all the hopes and dreams placed upon them, the craters weather away by natures grip.  
  
The wind was more intense now as the Necromo star began to shine down with it's light and heat. Solemnly and with little fanfare, four mechs stride through the barren wastelands to the only city on the planet and the only objective for taking it. A Raven piloted by Skate, a Catapult piloted by Boomer, an Uziel piloted by Hawk, and at the lead a sleek and trimmed Bushwhacker piloted by Lance Commander Von Franz. Their feet tossed up small clouds of dust that swirled around in angry puffs. Yet as quickly as the impressions of their feet were made on the sand they blew away obliterating any trace of their existence.  
"We are 3 minutes from the barrier ridge to the city, Skate hold position 500 meters ahead on point and go BAP active. Boomer I want you to stay at the ridgeline as we enter the city, Hawk you stay right in my back pocket.", Von crackled over the comms. This was now the most difficult part for him, his second combat command and worst of all it would be a city fight. He goes silent listening to the gentle thumping of his mech's feet on the ground, it sounded so much like a heartbeat as one leg lifted after the other touched down. The others remained silent, except for Hawk.  
"Hey why are you going and tying me down old man? I got jets I can take the point piece O cake and maul em up before you guys even show up, you just gotta trust me is all!", Hawk laughingly proclaimed.  
"I will not argue with you, if I see you go in front of me I will core you and you'll have a one way trip to the sky, godamn kids...", Von thundered not clicking off his microphone before stating the last comment. He opened the gates to conversation though.  
"What do you think we'll run into sir?", Boomer sounded lightly over the comms.  
Von paused for a moment, listening to the gentle beating of his mech's feet before replying, "Probably some treadheads, maybe some infantry.... ". Thinking to himself, "I wonder why she asked that...". The thought was short-lived.  
"Contacts at 1500 meters, treads probably.... ", Skate paused for a moment on the comms, "I'll fall back and let you resume point... ". With that the Raven slowed and let Von and Hawk walk to the front. The black ridge protruded upwards and beyond it was the city.  
"Why the hell does he have to run back here?", Von thought to himself. "No matter, one thing at a time... Hawk! They look like hovercraft, move ahead and take them out at range, I don't want these Harasser turds gettin near us!", Von thundered out.  
"No problem boss! Leave it to me!", Hawk enthusiastically shouted back as the lance pulled to a stop and Hawk creped forward in his Uziel. "Alright, one by one like skeet shooting.... ", Hawk said to himself activating the enhanced imaging reticule. The hovercraft kicked up dust as they struggled to use the scant terrain features to get within range of their SRM batteries. Slowly Hawk calmed down and took aim at the first cloud of dust, arming the left PPC Skate scooted to the rear with Boomer. In a flash as bright as lightning the first PPC bolt flew through the air and the massive explosion meant an undeniable kill.  
"Easy does it Hawk, don't waste shots", Von coached. Hawk didn't respond and carefully placed the reticule on a second dust cloud. With another bright flash the second hovercraft went up in a large ball of fire as it magazines exploded.  
"Hell yea! I got both of em and the others are turning around, capellan wusses! Come on boss let's kill em all!", Hawk shouted out.  
"It could be a trap", Skate remarked.  
"Do we really have to gun them down sir? They are retreating...", Boomer said inquisitively.  
"All of you shut the hell up!", Von roared over the comms, "Listen up and listen good, Hawk you stay with me, Skate you take point damnit and you stay there! Boomer you hold on the ridge for support, we work together and do it right we live, if we don't we die that's as simple as I can put it.", with a grim and deep voice at the end.  
"They're running though boss! We can catch em... ", Hawk remarked before being interrupted.  
"I will not say it again, execute plan now Hawk!", and with Von's remark Skate began to assume point once more and the lance moved forward to the ridge. "Boomer seems skittish, I'll have to watch her Von said to himself. The lance entered on a main road in the city and began to sweep and secure the area. Many of the buildings had visible battle scars and the wreckage lay strewed like entrails along the sides. The civilians that hadn't evacuated could be seen among the dead and charred. "This is a grim testimate to the power I wield... to what I have become responsible for...", Von thought to himself as the lance creped forward through the smoke filled streets.  
"Sir I can't get as good of a reading off the BAP in here, ahhh, request permission to fall back to you guys..." Skate crackled over the comms...  
"Denied! You will stay on point and you will extend our sight in here!", Von roared back. "Damnit where's my vodka when I need it... Okay we've swept this part and it looks clean, two more sweeps and hopefully.... ", Von was suddenly interrupted.  
"Black... Blackout! I'm jammed... I... I can't see anything I'm blind!", Skate cried out over the comms.  
"Not good... Skate get back here with us we're going to head into the west alleyway and move to the edge of the city... ", Von replied.  
"Why are we running away from static? I say we finish our patrol and kick the damn Capellans back to the trash heap they came from!", Hawk boasted.  
"I say you shut the hell up Hawk! Turn now..", and just as Von said that he saw what looked to be a plasma jet from a building top nearby. "Jumpers...", he thought to himself. "Boomer is your scope clear out there; we have jumpers on the roofs... ", but before he could finish the sentence a PPC bolt flashed in front of him missing to the front. It impacted the asphalt creating a glassy crater from the heat. "Trap! Get visuals!"  
"This is Boomer my scope seems fine but I'm not picking anything up." Boomer replied.  
"You will!", Von shouted. "There, visual at 217, condo building roof, it's an Uziel! I got this one find the others." With that Von charged the ammo racks and took aim before the Uziel could charge a second shot. "PPC's in a city, you make me laugh Capellans...", with tap of the foot controls the torso swerved left and a moment later Von pulled the trigger aiming at the Uziel's thin leg. The sound was massive and the cockpit shook as the LBX20 cannon fired, the effect was spectacular as the round shredded the leg into little pieces. With a shudder the Uziel fell over and off of the building onto the street below exploding in a brilliant flash as it's fusion core went critical. "Have you bastards found the others yet?" Von shouted.  
"This is Skate I found one, waiting for backup.", Skate replied.  
"Damnit we don't have time engage him!", Von shouted back.  
Skate gulped as he armed his main MRM racks, "I'm in over my head here..", he thought to himself. Jolting out at high speed, the Raven twisted its torso and acquired a spot lock on the Uziel as it jumped to another building and was caught completely by surprise. Skate pulled the trigger and 30 missiles streaked striking the target in the waist damaging the gyro. The whirring of the reloading cycle could be heard as Skate watched the ready light stay red. The Uziel began to turn slowly towards Skate who remained frozen, fixated on the weapon ready indicator.  
"Skate RUN!", Von shouted out as he and Hawk came down the street at high speed. Skate suddenly looked ahead and saw the Uziel pointed right at him and froze in fear. He looked down the barrel of the PPC cannon and time seemed to stand still. It was pointed right at his cockpit, point blank range. Suddenly a flash was all he could see, it seemed to engulf his sight and his hearing went out, he felt as if he was floating. "Skate RUN!", Von shouted out again and Skate suddenly shook his head and looked up again. The bright flashes were armor and wires being shredded. Charging forward Von continued to let loose volley after volley from his RAC5 cannon knocking the Uziel off aim. Suddenly the fire stopped and the warning light came on in Von's bushwhacker. "To hell, jammed? Godamnit! Skate!!!!", Von shouted to himself not even thinking to use the comms.  
"I, I'm... I have to... ," suddenly the computer voice snapped Skate back into reality, the reload was completed and a new MRM bank was ready to be fired. The Uziel was recovering slowly as its gyro had been badly damaged but again was poised to fire its' PPC cannon at Skate. Without acquiring a lock Skate fired. The brightness momentarily blinded him as the volley streaked out. When it cleared the Uziel was still there, in his haste for a shot he had missed completely! Then the Uziel fired. The flash was intense.  
"Holy shit!", Von whispered to himself. The Uziel had to take off the safeties to fire the PPC at such a close range; with its arm already damaged the effect was catastrophic blowing off the arm and most of the Uziel's right torso. Moments later the pilot ejected as the half burning hulk fell forward with a crash. "You are one lucky son of a bitch, and if you do that to me again I swear to god I will beat you back at base!", Von shouted at Skate who was breathing heavily and sweating profusely.  
"R-right sir...", Skate stuttered back starting to slowly move.  
"I'm back boss, I had to chase down a Harasser that ran from me, what was the problem?", Hawk suddenly crackled in.  
"Nothing Hawk.", Von replied. "I'll deal with him when we get back.", he thought to himself.  
With that the three began to exit the city. It was an obvious trap and remaining there without reinforcements would be a folly at best. They approached the edge leaving two more burned out mech chassis on the list of scrap in the battle for Necromo. 


	4. NonExistance

As I stare into the abyss, the darkness, the blackness of oblivion, the abyss looks back at me....

Boomer sat quietly in her Catapult. Outside the city it was desolate, the city itself was rather square and managed to perfection in size. Resources were limited on this world and everything had been pre-planned. She stared at the black marks on the walls of the buildings some standing tall, others a shattered remnant of their former selves. She wondered as to who used and lived in those buildings, who called this city home once upon a time. "What am I doing here?", she asked herself. There was no answer but the gentle hum of her mech. She could see dust fly by in the wind. She began to stroke her hair with her fingers as she sat there, alone in silence. Boomer valued these moments where she could just be alone. She thought back to the times as a kid where she would hide when her father came home. It was never a happy time back then so she valued this time of peace.

Static began to crackle in Boomer's cockpit. "Boomer, we're exiting the city now on your vector, we got godamned jumpers on us, is yer scope clear? Boomer come in damn you!" Von could be heard over the static. Boomer hesitated for a moment before checking her scope.

"Sir, my scope is clear, I have no contacts.", she responded calmly. She stared at the radarscope. Suddenly 3 green blips followed by two unidentified contacts began to show up coming towards her. She said nothing however.

"Damnit you should be picking them up by now, check again! Do you see them?? They're on the fuckin roofs!", Von retorted back.

Boomer stared at the two blips, she wondered as to what she should do. After what seemed like an eternity she responded, "I see something sir, are you alright?"

Von was running his Bushwhacker as fast as it could go, he was the slowest in the pack. "Shit!", his HUD lit up and sparkled as the mech jolted forward and sparks from fried wiring began to shoot out. A PPC had hit him in the rear armor and he could feel the feedback in his neurohelm. "Check the roofs Boomer! We need fuckin support fire now!"

Hawk began to slow, "I can try to knock em off yea boss, I just gotta set up over..." before being interrupted.

"If anyone is ejectin it'll be me, you get your hotshot ass outta here! I can still core you damnit!", Von yelled. "Boomer, respond godamnit!"

Boomer sat there, she peered out and could make out two Uziels on the roofs jumping from roof to roof. "I... I see them sir... I need a moment to ready up...", she said slowly in a nervous tone. As she hit the switch the large armored missile bay doors began to open up. As they rose the sun was blocked and the cockpit became dark before they completed they're opening cycle letting light back in again. Her palms sweat as she pulled down the enhanced targeting reticule. She could see the enemy mechs up close and personal as they moved and fired. As she lay the reticule on the first Uziel the gentle buzz of the lock indicator sounded and the rack ready lights went green. Instead of fireing Boomer hesitated however, she stared at the mech through the reticule, specifically the cockpit. She wondered who was in there, where they came from, why did fate bring them here. The thoughts rushed through her head at high speed.

"If you see them fire already!!!", Von shouted suddenly startling Boomer who pushed the trigger in the commotion with the reticule right on the enemy mech's cockpit. With a roar twenty missiles flew out of the bay, then twenty more in the next rack, then ten more then yet ten more in massive vollies as one by one the rack ready lights turned red.

"Oh my god...", Boomer said to herself. She realized where her reticule rested and watched as the sixty missiles streaked in to the target. All she could do was watch the smoke trail as they seemed to sail so slowly through the air. Suddenly they dove in as they were programmed to do like hawks. Volley after volley hit the Uziel. The first set hit the cockpit dead on cracking the armored glass while the second demolished it altogether. With the third and fourth they pierced the cockpit altogether and exploded inside the frame blowing out the back. The Uziel froze where it was and slowly but surely began to tip backward. She watched it fall out of sight into the street and with a bright flash as its core went critical the building it was on shuttered with dust and collapsed.

"Damn good shot Boomer, you see that boss she's a natural!", Hawk shouted over the comms still running behind Skate.

"We're almost out of the city Boomer but these surats cracked my back plate, you gotta take out the last little shit quick!", Von said over the comms seemingly more calm than usual. "I know this is new to you Boomer but godamnit you gotta do something or it'll be us in the graveyard!"

"Yes sir, I'll do my best.", Boomer responded with a tear running down her cheek. The loud reload mechanisms prevented her from thinking clearly. She could see the other Uziel that continued on going from roof to roof. It didn't take long for the heavy inner sphere LRM racks to reload as the lights came up. She saw the other Uziel and put the reticule offset to the left on purpose. "I'm sorry", she said to herself as she closed her eyes and pulled the trigger. Another fusillade of sixty missiles roared out. She watched as the Uziel began to turn around and retreat as he no doubt heard the missile warning bleep. It was too late however, the missiles streaked in and struck the shoulder hard severing the arm clean off and causing the Uziel to fall off the side of the building. She could see the dust rise up from the impact but no explosion. The remaining missiles streaked in and hit nearby buildings throwing up huge clouds of dust and starting small fires. She had quickly turned a city block into a disaster area and saved her lance mates but could only think of who those anonymous people were.

"Let's get outta here", Von said. "We need to re-arm and repair, one capellan medium lance down at least. You did damn good Boomer, you got a killer's touch."

"Hell yea Boomer, that was cold blooded sniper work there, like hell I'm gonna let yea show me up like that though!", Hawk said with an egotistical tone.

On the way back the sun began to set, it mixed with the smoke from the fires to make an eerie glow. As the smoke swirled Boomer looked out and thought for but a moment, she could see faces in the smoke.


End file.
